There were johnny cakes and laughter by the fire as Forbes marked Reconciliation Week at the Wiradjuri Dreaming Centre.
CatholicCare Wilcannia Forbes hosted the gathering, with children’s activities and lunch to be shared with the support of Forbes Shire Council and playgroup.
At the same time, the region’s emergency services and responders were visiting to connect with local Indigenous communities as part of a workshop coordinated by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.
Jenny Howard, manager of brokerage and emergency management with the department, said they’d visited a number of communities and had had very positive responses.
Representatives of Rural Fire Service, NSW Fire and Rescue, Reconstruction Authority, Premier’s Department, Transport for NSW and Department of Communities and Justice received a warm welcome in Forbes and the tour group described the relationships they were building as invaluable.
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Tim Heslop, Rural Fire Service Manager Community Risk in the western area, said relationships were key to preparedness for times of emergency.
“These sorts of events bring people together,” he said.
The theme of Reconciliation Week 2025 is Bridging Now to Next, reflecting the connection between past, present and future and calling Australian to step forward together.
